In this quick video, Maira Kalman talks about the difference between thinking and feeling, and why writers need to engage in some activity or meditation (like walking) to empty the head once in a while. Writing gets fun when you’re open to the unexpected. All that stubborn intent and hard-thinking will block your flow!
What do you do when you’ve been laboring away on a problem in your writing without a creative solution? How do you clear your mind, open yourself to surprise, and re-engage your feelers? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chris Robley splits his time between the Portlands Oregon and Maine, always longing for the other. He plays music on the West Coast and writes poems on the East. His music has been praised by NPR, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, and others. Skyscraper Magazine said he is “one of the best short-story musicians to come along in quite some time.” Robley’s poetry is forthcoming in Prairie Schooner, RHINO, Pacifica Literary Review, and The Fine Line.